Exploding Novas
by angst cupcake
Summary: The way Kevin looks at Castiel – Sam laughs. The kid has god damn (blasphemy be damned) stars in his eyes, even though he supposes if the King of Hell cut off his fingers and some angel blasted him away, he'd be floating around on cloud nine too. Dean Winchester/Castiel, slight Kevin Tran/Castiel.


Title: Exploding Novas  
Author: **stormy_mayday**  
Pairing: Dean/Castiel, slight Kevin/Castiel  
Rating: PG  
Word count: 1,767, unbeta'd  
Warnings/kinks/contents: kissing  
Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
Author's note: Ugh. I have no idea what this is. I'm working on porn. This is something that my mind birthed in between.

* * *

Sam thinks it's kind of cute because really, it is.

He laughs to himself because he remembers the first time he met Castiel; how he'd tripped over himself for words, how the thrum of power seemed to electrify the room and the gravity about them seemed so weighted that all he wanted to do was fucking _kneel_ at the feet of this powerful creature.

The way Kevin looks at Castiel – Sam laughs. The kid has god damn (blasphemy be damned) _stars_ in his eyes, even though he supposes if the King of Hell cut off his fingers and some angel blasted him away, he'd be floating around on cloud nine too. But it's the way those eyes shine and widen, the thrill that starts in the center of his pupils and spasm outward as if he's been shocked, coursing through the rest of him, fingers and shoulders jerking.

Sam knows Kevin was some sort of prodigy at one point in his life, looking at a life in some Ivy League school and he wants to laugh again because it's like Kevin is a mirror. But this is how it always goes, and Kevin is a strong kid, especially for one who was thrown into being a Prophet so suddenly, now beholding knowledge no man has ever known. _Takes it like a champ_, Sam thinks and he respects that; none of them asked for this life, and maybe hope for something beyond it in the future.

And so, this _crush_ thing starts and Sam doesn't know what else to call it except that he doesn't have the heart to tell Kevin that Castiel isn't _his_ angel because a man's got to put his faith and hope and love into _something_ when you walk this kind of life. And honestly, Kevin's a kid. Somewhere beneath the blood and stench of sulfur, beyond Metatron's words inscribed into his skull, Kevin was just that young kid who had once been buried in stacks of papers and talked to his girlfriend late at night, his biggest worry being that he hoped his mother wouldn't catch him.

And Sam supposes that crushing on an Angel of the Lord – _Dean's_ Angel of the Lord was really harmless.

And it's amusing. For him, at least because Dean is fuming because Castiel doesn't get it because he doesn't understand it, so he carries about doing how he does things and Kevin tags along. Sam likes to watch; it's better than television and did he mention before that he finds it endearing?

The stars don't leave Kevin's eyes, though they begin to burn dark and smolder and Sam starts to think _uh oh_ even though he's practically pissing himself laughing. Dean's eyes are dark too, narrowed and watching, though with different intent and the heat of jealousy that radiates from him is sweltering and Sam thinks he can see hellfire somewhere in the depths.

Dean's never been good with sharing.

And Dean's envious because Castiel just doesn't see it, and much to Dean's chagrin, he finds Kevin to be rather delightful. There's really only so much that Dean and Sam know, biblical, ancient history and otherwise, that they can talk about with Castiel. But Castiel is a being many millennia old, and he knows things that you can't get out of any text book because he was there to see it since the dawn of man, and the only written words were from the scribe of God who wrote in a language never spoken on the tongue of man.

And then in comes Kevin, the Prophet of fucking _humanity_ and while he wasn't some thousand year old being, he held the knowledge. He and Castiel talk, actually talk. And it's the first time Sam realizes the small talk and awkward conversations when they first met Castiel weren't _just_ of an angelic nature; he wasn't comfortable. Granted, neither were he and Dean.

But Kevin and Castiel talk like old friends. They speak of ancient history like they were both there, and ponder about Heaven and Hell like Kevin has been to both. It's free-flowing and easy and Castiel even _laughs_ sometimes and Kevin's whole face lights up, brightening the room. And while Kevin doesn't speak the language of the Angels, he understands it and there's a creasing of joy at the corner of Castiel's eyes when he speaks in his native tongue and Kevin just smiles and nods.

Kevin's everywhere in Castiel's space. He's always peering over Castiel's shoulder, hovering close. When they hit roadside diners, he's at Castiel's side in the booth immediately. In the Impala, he hustles Castiel into the back and sits beside him. When they talk, Kevin makes a habit of leaning towards the angel, whispering and Sam things he can see the hair on Kevin's arms stand up when he's this close to his desire. At the library, there's always some blurted excuse that he vomits out in an attempt to guide Castiel next to him. And Castiel being – well, _Castiel_, he goes without a second thought or understanding.

He brings Castiel things with this hopeful, almost puppy-like face with those burning eyes; books, coffee, burgers, a new tie for god's sake. That _really_ pisses off Dean and when Castiel is looking for it one morning when it's gone, Sam's practically spitting out coffee when Dean kicks him in the shin and tells him to shut up about the fact he saw Dean torch it in the back parking lot the night before.

_He's a constant cockblock_, Dean snarls under his breath one day like no one hears, eyes watching Kevin's face in the rearview mirror beside Castiel's in the back seat. If Kevin hears it, he ignores it. Sam wants to laugh again; he's wanted to do that a lot lately.  
Kevin's maybe not all that subtle either with the touching and the staring. It reminds Sam of when Dean and Castiel first met. Only Castiel still stares at Dean and Kevin stares at Castiel and Dean _glares_ at Kevin. Sam sits in the middle, staring at all three of them. Kevin's eyes fascinate him. Remember the smoldering stars? They go nova every time Castiel touches him, bursting from dark centers.

_Thank you Kevin_, Castiel will say and Kevin always has to touch, reaching out and squeezing Castiel's arm or his shoulder. There was this one time where it braved at Castiel's waist and Sam's pretty sure Dean growled from across the room. Castiel had looked confused and Kevin embarrassed, though his eyes never left the angel's face.

Dean looks always like he wants to say something, but the words catch in his throat, like he can't quite figure out how to say it without exposing himself, too vulnerable for that.

Sam wants to smack him.

* * *

They leave Kevin and his mother with Garth some few weeks later and Kevin looks absolutely wrecked. Castiel gently takes the hand with the missing finger to his mouth and cups his hands around it, blowing softly into it. Kevin makes a surprised noise and when he withdraws his hand and flexes his hand, marveling at the restored flesh and bone of his pinky.

"Thank you," Kevin breathes out in amazement and he reaches out, cupping Castiel's face. Sam sees it coming suddenly and he feels his breath hold fast because while Kevin was a crushing teenager, he never seemed _this_ bold. Castiel's eyes go wide, blown open and he jerks back slightly, but not before Kevin is kissing him. It's obnoxiously chaste and Sam feels Dean go tense beside him. Without thinking, he's latched a fistful of the back of Dean's coat into his hand.

Kevin pulls back, and the stars have exploded in his eyes, fire rushing pink to his cheeks. Castiel is staring at him, bewildered. Dean is all out vibrating next to Sam.

"Drop in when you can, yeah?" Kevin asks and Castiel reaches up and touches his mouth, face pinched with confusion.

"I will," Castiel says quietly and Dean all but jerks at Sam's hand, trying to shake him off. Kevin leans in again, and Sam's pretty sure he's going to have to find the nearest blunt object to knock him unconscious for the next few hours, except for the fact that Castiel puts a finger to Kevin's lips and smiles, "Ah," He says, like he _finally_ understands, "Kevin." Kevin looks like a chastised child – and rejected.

"I will visit to check in, but—" Castiel raises a brow as Kevin looks hopeful, "While I find your company quite enjoyable, our visits shall be strictly platonic," Castiel says it like it's perhaps passing small talk with a stranger, "My affections lie elsewhere." There's a moment where the exploded stars seem to shatter and the night swallows them up. And then he looks confused because Castiel isn't looking at him when he says it – he's looking at Dean.

Sam can see Castiel's face and it's warm and uninhibited, purely raw with compassion and Dean goes still beside him, stopped and frozen as if with awe. Sam looks away because the look, though out in the open, is not meant for him and he gives them the moment of privacy before Castiel is speaking again.

"I wish you well Kevin, be safe. We will see one another soon."

"Yeah," Kevin sighs and leans in once more, this time to Castiel's ear. He whispers something they cannot hear (_"If anything happens, you got me."_) and Castiel looks amused before shaking his head, bidding farewell once more. Garth's truck is rumbling like thunder as it spits up dirt and dust, dotting out into the distance and disappearing against a golden arch of sun.

"Yeah," Dean suddenly shouts into open air, expelling it like it's been sitting in his lungs with bated breath for quite some time. Sam supposes it has. Dean shakes off Sam's grip and he's frowning as Castiel approaches them, "Damn right, that's _my_ angel." His voice echoes into the distance and Castiel tilts his head. Whatever dam had been built breaks in that moment and Dean's got his fists in that damn, dirty trenchcoat and he's kissing Castiel like he's the air he breathes. Sam watches a moment and feels something warm bubbling inside of him as he watches Castiel melt into it.

Sam goes back to the car and settles into the back, kicking his feet up. Outside, he hears soft murmurs, words he cannot hear but can guess he knows between the wet smack of lips. And then Sam tilts his head back and laughs like he hasn't in a while because really, it's cute.

* * *

Reviews are love.


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